Category: United Arab Emirates

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

We arrived back in Abu Dhabi this morning and disembarked the ship. We headed back to Le Royal Meridien, the boys were sad to leave. They both met a few other boys their age onboard and had fun with them. After 10 days of comfort and being taken care of onboard, it’s hard to go back to normal life! After the brash, glamorous and cosmopolitan Dubai, it was nice to get back to the more traditional, conservative and gentler pace of life in Abu Dhabi. Not to say it’s without its own modern developments like the sumptuous Emirates Palace Hotel and Sheik Zayed Mosque. So we spent the day exploring these gems that we didn’t see in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the trip. Emirates Palace was over the top and one of the most spectacular sights in Abu Dhabi. It lives up to every one of our Western cliches about the oil fueled opulent life in the Gulf! It’s possibly the most expensive hotel ever built at the cost of around $3 billion. It’s total Arabian excess and opulence. The sheer size is breathtaking, over a half mile long with 1000 Swarovski crystal chandeliers, 150,000 cubic yards of imported marble, 114 domes, and 102 elevators! We spent so much time walking around and exploring. The Emirate Palace Cappuccino is topped with gold flakes at the cost of about $20, but you have to do it! Next stop was the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque. Is gargantuan and holds up to 40,000 worshippers! It has 57 domes and four huge minarets, and cost around $500 million and was completed in 2007 after 12 years of construction. I also has the worlds largest carpet. It’s 60,000 square feet and weighs 47 tons. There is also the worlds largest chandelier that is 33ft in diameter and 50ft high with a million Swarovski crystals. I had to cover up in one of their Abayas before I could enter the grounds. As you walk in they have a ladies entrance then a men’s entrance. But only the women had the required “uniforms”. I felt like a Jawa from Star Wars! We spent so much time exploring and taking pictures, around every corner was an amazing view. After we left, we went across the river to a Hotel and Souk to see the Mosque from a distance as the sun set, it was spectacular! We also passed by the Capital Building, also known as the Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi. It is known as the worlds most tilted tower with an 18° slant, more than four times that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But this was built this way. It is also home to the Hyatt hotel. Dubai boasts some of the best Indian food due to the sheer number of them here. We ate at a highly recommended place called India Palace. It was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed it. When we got back to the hotel, he went up to the top. They have a great cocktail lounge called Stratos because it’s a 360 degree area that slowly spins in about 1.5 hours. The boys loved watching it move while Jeff and I had cocktails and enjoyed the views from so high above.

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The third day in Dubai was leisurely. We started with a huge breakfast in bed with Mimosas. Then spent the rest of the morning scouring the Souks for more goodies, mainly the gold Souk. Then some relaxation by the pool in the afternoon. We considered skiing at Ski Dubai, an indoor ski and snowboard mountain, but figured we could ski at home and instead immersed ourselves in the last day of Dubai culture. That evening we had dinner at the Tuscan Grille, another Celebrity restaurant that specializes in seafood, steaks, chops and homemade pastas. We started at the Martini bar and met Ray and Rachel for a drink. Then proceeded to the Tuscan Grille for an amazing three hour dinner. We sat in a beautiful spot by the window with a gorgeous view of the Dubai. Each course took time and was well worth the wait as it was freshly prepared. I asked them to raise the wooden slatted blinds that fell halfway down the floor to ceiling windows so that we could see the top of the skyline. The waiter said, they don’t go up…I found this strange so I asked the manager and he explained that last week while cruising through the Gulf of Aden there were pirates so all the lights on the ship were turned off and blinds were drawn. Since there were diners in the area where we were sitting near the window, they tried to get the blinds down quickly. They couldn’t do it quick enough so someone cut the strings so they would fall to the ground immediately. Hence, broken shades can’t move up and down. He said it took about an hour to move each one up a few feet…so they weren’t going anywhere! Oh well, didn’t matter, the ambiance, food and company was top notch. Another Celebrity jewel! We watch the production show in the theater and really enjoyed it but we’re so tired by this point-Dubai wore us out!

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Today we decided to see Dubai from the water. We took a ferry along the coast and saw the city from a different perspective, just as beautiful. Went past the Palm Jumeirah, as we call it Palm Island, there are other man-made island complexes we passed like the World, a bunch of islands made to look like a map of the entire world. We made our way to the Dubai marina, it was constructed in only five years between 2005 and 2010. It was just untouched desert 10 years ago, and now you’re surrounded by high-rises and million-dollar yachts. While none of the skyscrapers have any sort of architectural merit, well besides the infinity tower with its twisted look, the area is known as the tallest block in the world. We walked around the promenade and looked at the shops and restaurants and drooled at the amazing yachts. The Palm Jumeirah was next, we know it as the crazy man-made islands shaped like a palm tree. Everyone also knows it as the island that has the Atlantis resort on it. Same owners as the Atlantis in the Bahamas, and looks same too. It is the worlds largest artificial island so we had to see it. We took a 15 minute elevated monorail ride across the trunk of the palm tree which gave us views of the fronds of the palm with their amazing homes and real estate. The boys were dying to see the Dubai version of Atlantis, so we spent some time exploring there and of course it was beautiful. For sunset we went to the Madinat Jumeirah, I huge complex with landmarks, hotels, restaurants, a gorgeous Souk and beautiful views. The architecture is pretty with tall wind towers and framed by palm trees everywhere, a real Arabian feel. We spent so much time wandering around the Souk we kept getting lost and finding really pretty things to buy. The Burj al Arab is the sail shaped landmark that put Dubai on the map. It’s one of the most memorable, beautiful and astonishing buildings. It’s claimed to be the world’s most luxurious hotel and it promotes itself as the worlds only seven star hotel. The lobby has dancing fountains decorated in gold leaf, it also has a restaurant that appears to be underwater that you take a submarine to get to. It was built in 1999 and it’s outline is inspired by the shape of a local Dhow’s sail. It definitely is a beautiful sight.

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai’s warm climate, beautiful beaches, lively souks, and upscale modern luxury is what makes it so popular. It’s the financial hub of the Middle East and Asia and its location on the Persian Gulf is what attracts so much wealth and trade. Dubai’s modern skyline is home to the world’s tallest building, the stunning Burj Khalifa. Emirati cuisine is a fusion of Middle Eastern and Asian flavors. Fresh caught seafood is the staple of the Dubai diet, but lamb stews spiced with saffron, turmeric, and thyme are also popular. We are arrived by ship at about five in the morning, so when we woke up we ran to the window to look out. Rowan was amazed at how tall the Burj Khalifa was. We were so excited to get up, eat a quick breakfast and head off the ship. Wow what a difference from Oman, a traditional old city full of history to a glitzy and flashy new city. It’s exactly how people describe it. We started in Old Dubai at the Creek, a river that runs through the middle of the city. This is what Dubai was like when it was a small time trading and fishing port up until the 1950’s. We started at the Gold Souk, it was gold rather than oil that powered the economy of old Dubai and even today it generates enormous sums of cash. The Souk has quaint shops that are clustered around a main alley and then spill out into the surrounding streets. There is an ornately carved ceiling with gorgeous hanging lamps. The amount of gold in this place is staggering, it seems to be crammed into every single space and window! From here we easily made it to the spice Souk. Well we actually smelled it before we saw it. Just like the gold Souk, you navigate through narrow alleyways and all of them overflowing with herbs and spices beautifully arranged. Besides the spices there also other things like frankincense which you smell burning all over the place. The shops here are run by Iranian traders. They were very nice and spent a lot of time to explain all of the different mysterious spices. Coming out of the spice Souk, we were right at the edge of the creek and it was bustling with energy. Abra’s, old-fashioned wooden passenger ferries, goes back-and-forth across the creek. You see all types of people from Emirati’s in their flowing white robes to Pakistani day workers to tourists with cameras. Many Dhows still sail the Arabian Sea and go to neighboring Emirates, and over to Iran, Pakistan and India. So you see loading and unloading of so much cargo like strange things like washing machines to the more common contraband cigarettes. We took the elevated metro line down Sheik Zayed Road because it has a spectacular view of the massive skyscrapers, a real contrast to the Souk and the old part of the city we were just in. The Burj Khalifa is our next stop and you can’t miss that! It is the worlds tallest man-made structure and we are going up to have a high tea with a view of the whole city. Dubai is considered the tallest city on the planet with 20 of the world’s 100 highest buildings, and 4 more in Abu Dhabi. Other high-rise cities like New York and Hong Kong have 7 and 6 top 100 buildings each. When the Dubai World Trade Center opened in 1979 it was the tallest building in the Middle East, now it’s only at number 92 of Dubai’s top 100. The worlds fastest elevator whisked us up to the 124th floor in 45 seconds! You can see all of Dubai and the huge Skyscrapers we passed on Sheik Zayed Road, they actually look tiny from up here! Looking down you can see the beautiful Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa Lake. The fountains are similar to the show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas with colored lights and dancing water and music. We had a very nice High Tea at At.mosphere, the world’s highest restaurant. We spent a leisurely two hours over tasty finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, different teas and cocktails. All while gazing at the beautiful view. Just that kept the boys occupied the whole time. Of course we had to stop at the Dubai Mall, the largest mall on the planet. So many tax free high end designer stores, a full-size aquarium, a waterfall, Olympic size ice rink and a lot of other fun kids activities. It’s a tourist attraction in it’s own right!

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The Arabian Desert

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The desert here is amazing, dark orange dunes that seem to go on forever. The undulating landscape is so soothing to gaze at, simply breathtaking. We all rode camels and were mermerized by the landscape. The boys were especially excited about riding on the camels, they couldn’t believe how tall they were. It was a little scary when we stood up on it and then sat down, I thought I would fall off and the boys just giggled. Climbing the sand dunes was a real challenge! Very good exercise but tiring! The boys spent a few hours dune surfing, just like snow boarding but on sand. They both got hurt a few times, face plants taught them real quickly! Every twenty minutes or so I would look down from the dune I was on and see one of them lying prone so I’d have to yell down and ask if they were okay, I’d get a feeble “yes, just tired”! As long as they were alive I just let them keep going. We watched sunset from a very high dune and the colors were amazing, the dark oranges, golds and tans against the milky blue sky was spectacular. We took so many pictures and the lighting was amazing. We went to fetch the boys and their faces were brown with white areas where they touched their sweaty faces, they looked soooo funny! They were a mess, coughing the sand out of their throats and asking for water. I gave Grant water and then he got down on all fours and just started throwing up! So needless to say I had to carry his stuff back….Rowan wasn’t much better, they had no energy left in their bodies! But they said it was awesome. We washed all the sand off them, it was everywhere-100 times worse than the beach! Then got cleaned up for dinner. We sat in the traditional Bedouin style with low tables surrounding a center stage outside. We ate delicious local food while listening to Arabic music by a man playing an oud. Then dinner ended with belly dancing, that was lots of fun to watch. Arabic coffee and dates were a nice finish to dinner as they turned out all the lights and everyone just sat back quietly and looked at the heavens. Of course I had to point out all the planets and constellations (quietly), they were so bright they jumped out at you. Venus and Mars were prominent on either side of the waxing crescent moon while the Pleiades, Cassiopeia, Orion and the usual circumpolar constellations were present as well. A very peaceful end to the evening.

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Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

We slept so well last night, not a big surprise! We passed out at about 1am and while I woke up frequently during the night, I went right back to sleep and was very comfortable. We got up very excited around 7:30am and felt refreshed and excited to start the day. Abu Dhabi boasts emerald blue seas, white sand beaches, haunting sand dunes and a lot of culture plus the amenities of a modern city. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is much quieter and authentic than than its flashy and cosmopolitan neighbor Dubai. Abu Dhabi is situated between two extremes-the beauty of the pristine Persian Gulf and miles of rolling desert sand dunes. The natural wonders offer a beautiful backdrop to a city that is home to both modern developments and a wealth of cultural treasures. Abu Dhabi offers a delicious fusion of global cuisines. The cities location by the sea makes fresh seafood a staple of many dishes. Dishes often highlight flavors of cinnamon, saffron and turmeric, complemented with nuts, limes and dried fruit. The capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi is the largest and wealthiest of the nation’s seven emirates and is a rapidly growing cosmopolitan metropolis. Glittering skyscrapers pierce the sky, and five-star resorts spread across islands both natural and manmade. There are golf courses, beaches, marinas, upscale malls, a Formula One race car track, amusement areas and cultural institutions-outposts of the Louvre and Guggenheim museums are opening soon. We had a sumptuous breakfast spread and really enjoyed it. Then explored the hotel before heading out to the desert for the afternoon and evening. We will be back to Abu Dhabi at the end of our trip to spend more time exploring.

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Schiphol Airport

The Netherlands, New Years Day

Badhoevedorp, The Netherlands

Arriving in Amsterdams Schiphol Airport on New Years Day was foggy and dreary. Our connecting flight was right near the gate we arrived at so it was very convenient but that flight was delayed due to technical issues for an hour. I noticed Grant had what appeared to be a bug or spider bite on his neck and it looked new and red. Once we boarded the flight he started complaining about being itchy, so I gave him a dose of Benadryl afraid it was an allergic reaction to the bite. It just kept getting worse, his whole scalp, back and all the way down to his feet and he had chills. Now I start getting worried, I gave him another Benadryl and piled on blankets. I’m thinking about getting him off the plane before we take off, now I am so anxious I don’t know what to do. So I just held him and let him relax and he slowly started getting better. Thankfully we were delayed and just sitting on the plane so I didn’t have to make any decisions at that point. The boys slept most of the 6.5 hours of the flight and missed dinner. I napped on and off and am tired, I’ve been up about 26 hours so far….but I finally watched Bridget Jones’s Baby during the flight. We arrived at our hotel Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi in the Corniche area of Abu Dhabi around 11pm local time, 26 hours after we left our home in California. Finally in bed after 1am local or 29 hours after we got up today.

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The Middle East, New Years Eve 2016

San Clemente, CA

Surprisingly I’m feeling pretty good right now. I guess because I have everything done and slept well but not long enough. Usually I have so much anxiety until I get on the plane worrying about if I have everything, passports, is there anything I didn’t do that I needed to? Car should be here in about 45 minutes for the ride to LAX, hope it doesn’t take too long it’s foggy and dreary out. I shouldn’t have spoke so soon, about 15 minutes before pickup I was notified that our flight was delayed 45 minutes….we only have a 1 hour and 25 minute layover So now I’m an anxious mess! Can’t wait for my Bloody Mary at the airport! As usual, everything worked out well, The ride to the airport was a bit anxious because I kept thinking that I forgot everything! Once we were in the airport lounge, with Bloody Mary’s, everything was good. By the time I got on the plane I was so relaxed. I don’t think I noticed take off at all good sign, at least in my book! Once on board and in flight, it hit midnight in Amsterdam so everyone cheered, clapped and they passed out glasses of champagne, it was awesome! Happy New Year! Dinner was a semi-good chicken curry with rice, salad and an crusty roll with butter. I watched The Godfather to soothe me with another vodka soda with dinner, then a Courvoisier helped me into sleep. Six and a half hours left, I can get a good nap if I fall asleep now. Aaaaaah, somehow I slept about 2+ hours after dinner! That’s major for me on a plane. The canned music put me to sleep but certainly didn’t keep me asleep….woke up to something I hated, can’t remember now but it was terrible… old Springsteen I think. Mad that this plane doesn’t have any plugs for our computers or phones! Not even USB chargers We are all conserving our batteries and not listening to our music or watching our movies on our laptops. Feel like it’s the 90’s or something. The kids are trying to bargain with me for my chargers, they are willing to make a deal with the devil for just a few minutes of charge….too bad, they should have brought their own! They each have a 10,000 amp they got in Hong Kong, but didn’t bring it, sorry. I watched a good movie, reminded me of a French foreign film, which I love. Then they served breakfast, it was actually good! Fresh fruit, yogurt, a cheese omelette, a roll and coffee. The view out the window is beautiful with a sliver of orange along the curvature of the earth. We are landing at 12am pacific time, when everyone is saying cheers in California.